Center guide strip for dual roadways



Dec. 17, 1963 J. oBERBAcl-l 3,114,303

CENTER GUIDE STRIP FOR DUAL ROADWAYS Filed Jan. 51, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Josef Oberbach Dee. 17, 1963 J. oBERBAcH y/ Y CENTER GUIDE STRIP Foa DUAL RoADwAYs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 51, 1961 INVE N TOR Josef Oberbac/I ggf ww TTY-T.

United Statesy Patent O 3,114,303 CENTER GUIDE STRIP FR DUAL ROADWAYS Josef berhaeh, Siehurger Strasse 120, Cologne-Deutz, Germany Filed Jan. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 86,162 Claims priority, application Germany Feb. 4, 1960 4 Claims. (Cl. 94-L5) This invention relates to an edge-limiting device for roadways, more particularly a guide device for the center strips between opposing ftralic lanes of roadways, and to the construction of the bottom strip for edge limitation.

It :is known -to provide guide devices for deflecting vehicles on roadways for individual, freely moving trafic, for example, motor highways. These are almost exclusively provided only at dangerous points on highways. Such guide devices consist of steel, reinforced concrete and also wood. Attempts have been made to combine the guide devices partly with anti-dazzle grids, the latter being arranged above the guide devices formed of steel rails or the like.

The existing arrangements of a guide device deflecting the vehicles, either alone or in combination with an an-tidazzle screen do not satisfy the requirements which modern traffic has to meet. A guide device of steel rails or other rigid material of relatively high strength and resistance to fracture is capable of deilecting the irnpinging vehicles, but 'with the unpleasant accompaniment of a non-resilient impact and the consequent severe shocks and reactions. Attempts with metal grids as antidazzle screens have shown that they have insuliicient influence on dazzle, and in addition, due to deficient shock absorption on the part of the metal can lead to serious personal injuries in accidents.

The still frequently customary construction of dual roadways, in which a continuously thickly planted green strip is provided between the opposing traic lanes fails to satisfy the desired purpose sufficiently either as a guide device or anti-dazzle screen. Anti-dazzle, for example, is absent when the plants or trees are without foliage. Furthermore, more or less thickly planted green strip cannot be considered to be a direct guide device. The plants or trees of Ithe green strip cannot deflect the vehicles, and one can only hope that driving into bushes or trees of relatively thin stems or trunks will result in an alleviation of the shock. Furthermore, the green strip, with or without bushes or trees, is a danger for the road surface, since any planted area is water-absorbent and must necessarily convey excess water below the road surface, which is well known to result in premature destruction of the anchorage.

The invention has for its object the further development of the edge-limiting device for roadways, more particularly a guide device for the center strip of roadways. It is distinguished by the fact that the edge limitation consists of Ia profile strip of resilient material which is mounted on posts, arranged at intervals apart, at a distance from the ground of substantially the wheel-hub height of passenger vehicles. The profile strip may be of solid construction. lIt is, however, also possible to use plastic tubing under gas or liquid pressure. A ruptureresistant tubing may also be used, filled with a padding, for example a foam material. In this way, there is obtained :a guide device of high elongation on rupture and shock-absorbing qualities, the force of the vehicle being absorbed -fby the relatively high resiliency of the proile strip. By means of the resilient profile strip, it is possible that on the impact of a vehicle, not only is the part of the profile strip immediately affected by the impact subjected to stress, but also a substantial length of the strip adjacent the point of impact.

The fixing of lthe guide device strip, which is advantageously adapted to be operative on both sides, is preferably .affected by mounting it on sectional irons, posts or the like arranged at intervals. The profile strip is arranged in a freely suspended manner between the posts. The posts themselves should be inserted iirmly in the ground, but at the same time in such a m-anner that they `are able to yield from a predetermined tensile stress upward, imposed by the profile strip. To indicate the traffic space better in fog or at night, the prole strip, as resilient guide rail, may carry reflecting markings.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the edge-limiting device is combined in the manner known per se with an anti-dazzle screen. According to the invention, plates having ia high elongation on fracture and shook-absorbing action are proposed for the anti-dazzle surfaces, preferably plastic plates, having a plain, corrugated or reguliarly or irregularly opened-up surface. They should be light-transmitting but should scatter incident light in a diffused manner. Such anti-dazzle surfaces at night light up the traffic 'lane by the headlights of the on-coming traic, but completely prevent dazzle or glare. The antidazzle device may be arranged in laminate, which are fixed at certain angles regularly or irregularly in the direction of the Ilane above the de'liecting guide device, or it may be constructed as a continuous band.

In connection with the construction, according to the invention, of the edge-limiting device for driveways, it is furthermore proposed and made possible that lthe center strip between the lanes cairying oppositely-moving trafiic can be reduced in width to a substantially smaller dimension than is the case with the construction of the planted strip. According to the invention, the center strip is consolidated throughout, such, as for example, by means of an asphalt or concrete construction, openings being provided for the guide and anti-dazzle devices. The openings in the consolidated ground should be made so large that the individual post or its embedding, when stressed by ramming by motor vehicles running into it, can take up permanent deformations sufficiently to absorb the shock of the impact. The joint between the post and the eener strip consolidation is advantageously closed by .a sealing compound. This has at least a lower strength than the consolidation of the center strip. yif desired, the material may also have certain resiliency.

ln the development of the edge-limiting evice according to the invention, the center strip may be reduced to approximately a width of 1.30 meters, whereby a substantial amount of ground is spared for the roadway itself. Tlie consolidated center strip is preferably provided with a light colored surface for indicating a clear demarcation of the traffic lane.

An embodiment of the subject of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and by way of example,

FIG. 1 shows -a cross-section through the edge-limiting device for roadways according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIG. l, and

FIG. 3 shows the edge-limiting device according to *he invention in perspective View.

Between the lanes 1 and 2 for oppositely moving trafic of a roadway is the area denoted by 3 for the center strip on which is provided a motor vehicle deflecting guide device. The center strip 3 is situated between the usual edge-limiting strips 4 and 5, which normally have a Width of cm. and are provided with a covering of white concrete or light colored asphalt. In the consolidated ground of the center strip 3, posts 6 are embedded and arranged at intervals. For this purpose, the posts 6 having an H- section may be used, the web of the cross-section being arranged at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the traiiic lanes. At a predetermined low height, for example iat 'a height of 55 cm., the posts have a shoulder 6a for the suspension or attachment of profile strips 7 or plastic tubing of special strength and elongation or stretch. The profile strips 7 are reinforced with metal or fibers. Advantageously, they have a modulus of elasticity of about U-1000 kg./m.2, an elongation on rupture of about 40-100% and a tensile strength of 100G-200() l;g./cm.2. The strips may be made of such a width that the opposite faces of the strips represent surfaces facing the traflc lanes, deflecting towards each lane. In the case of thick profile strips, the arrangement may be such that the strips can be pushed over the posts. The shoulders 6a serve to ix the height. The upper part 6b is advantageously narrower than the post ti to be set in the ground. 1n the case of a proiile of H-section iron, this can be achieved by removing the flange parts from the shoulders 6a, so that only the shortened web parts 6b are left. The post 6 itself is set in the consolidated ground. Between the post and the consolidated part of the ground 3 is a sealing compound S, which permits the post to yield in the event of heavy stressing. Reector strips 9 may be provided on either side of the proiile strip 7 facing the respective traic lane.

Above the profile strip an anti-dazzle screen 10 may be provided, which preferably enables on-coming traffic to be recognized but eliminates dazzle. The anti-dazzle screen should be made of material which by plastic-elastic deformation and high elongation on rupture offers an energy-destroying and at the same time shock-absorbing resistance to vehicles driving against it. It is also possible to use for this purpose a plastic which is resilient to a certain extent.

The posts may be set at intervals of two to three meters. The consolidated center strip, with a Width of about 1.3 meters is suiiicient to satisfy the necessary safety distances.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In an edge-limiting device for roadways, more particularly a guide device for the center strip between opposing traflic lanes of roadways, posts set into the ground at spaced intervals, a reinforced prole tubular strip of shock absorbing plastic deformable material extending longitudinally of the roadway and mounted on said posts and in spaced relation to the ground line, the prole strip having registering openings in its upper and lower sides to facilitate placement of the strip on the posts through which the tops of the posts extend and shoulders on the posts and spaced from the tops thereof engaged with the upper side of the strip to hold the strip in position on the posts with the strip extending between the posts.

2. The construction of claim 1, wherein the profile strip is ilied with foam rubber.

3. 1n an edge-limiting device for roadways, more particularly a guide device for the center strip between opposing tratiic lanes of roadways, posts set into the ground at spaced intervals, a reinforced profile tubular strip of shock absorbing plastic deformable material extending longitudinally of the roadway and mounted on said posts and in spaced relation to the ground line, the profile strip having registering openings in its upper and lower Sides to facilitate placement of the strip on the posts through which the tops of the posts extend and shoulders on the posts and spaced from the tops thereof engaged with the upper side of the strip to hold the strip in position on the posts with the strip extending between the posts, and an impact absorbing element for the post adjacent the ground line.

4. In an edge-limiting device for roadways, more particularly a guide device for the center strip between opposing traftic lanes of roadways, posts set into the ground at spaced intervals, a reinforced profile tubular strip of shock absorbing plastic deformable material extending longitudinally of the roadway and mounted on said posts and in spaced relation to the ground line, the profile strip having registering openings in its upper and lower sides to facilitate placement of the strip on the posts through which the tops of the posts extend and shoulders on the posts and spaced from the tops thereof engaged with the upper side of the strip to hold the strip in position on the posts with the strip extending between the posts, and a glare screen secured to the posts immediately above the profile strip.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,843,398 McCracken Feb. 2, 1932 1,855,506 Young et al Apr. 26, 1932 2,111,113 Fischer Mar. 15, 1938 2,218,954 Gustafson Oct. 22, 1940 2,251,672 Fribcrg Aug. 5, 1941 2,503,455 Welch July 15, 1952 2,631,014 ONeale Mar. 10, 1953 2,872,161 Olson Feb. 3, 1959 2,927,513 Dove Mar. 8, 1960 3,004,145 Kroes Oct. 10, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 571,196 Italy Dec. 27, 1957 804,248 Great Britain Nov. 12, 1958 

1. IN AN EDGE-LIMITING DEVICE FOR ROADWAYS, MORE PARTICULARLY A GUIDE DEVICE FOR THE CENTER STRIP BETWEEN OPPOSING TRAFFIC LANES OF ROADWAYS, POSTS SET INTO THE GROUND AT SPACED INTERVALS, A REINFORCED PROFILE TUBULAR STRIP OF SHOCK ABSORBING PLASTIC DEFORMABLE MATERIAL EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE ROADWAY AND MOUNTED ON SAID POSTS AND IN SPACED RELATION TO THE GROUND LINE, THE PROFILE STRIP HAVING REGISTERING OPENINGS IN ITS UPPER AND LOWER SIDES TO FACILITATE PLACEMENT OF THE STRIP ON THE POSTS THROUGH 